Tracy A. Miller
This podcast features content for paper crafters, card makers, stampers and scrapbookers while exploring many aspects of a creative lifestyle.
"The happiest days are when babies come." Today was a terrific reminder that you cannot imagine just how good life can be. We all face struggles, hardship, and grief. Dark times come to everyone, but the light is just ahead.
The Universe has been teaching me a lesson in uncertainty this month. It started with a bang (literally, the whack of metal on metal when someone hit my car). Add to it insurance, car shopping, rental car issues, new job growing pains, baby watch and a whole host of other things up in the air. It's time to get comfortable with uncertainty.
It's the start of the month and I'm excited to share July's Big Three with you. I'm ready to shake things up, try something new, and ramp up my creative energy. I'm sharing how June went out with a bang and how Toastmasters inspired the card of the week. You don't want to miss this episode!
We often talk about backing up our photos and getting them printed. In this episode, I am sharing a quick and easy tip for getting your digital images organized.
Oops, I did it again...I got sucked back in to the world of intricate die cuts and paper craft projects that take an hour. To be honest, I am loving it. My cardmaking style has been all about quick and easy for a while now, but I got tempted by a Spellbinders car themed release and I can't get enough! Want to see what all of the fuss is about? Sign up for my newsletter! www.facebook.com/BewitchedCrafts Click the Sign Up button and I'll send you a free card tutorial just for checking it out.
Lots to catch up on this week including my favorite new dies from Spellbinders, June's big three, and my theme for this summer. I've got something for all my paper crafting buddies - junk journalers, scrapbookers, card makers, and planner girlies!
I'm inclined toward complexity. I love the layers, the depth, the extras in a lot of cases. The one place I'm finding I don't need them is my craft table. My crafty goals are simple: one - have fun, two - celebrate connection. I send simple cards 98% of the time because what I value most is sending the message that someone is important to me. I don't need to spend hours on a card or scrapbook page to say that.
How does baking a fancy cake relate to my experience at my craft table? My creativity experiment reminded me of the basics of my preferred work style and even the importance of keeping my energy up with music. Most important of all, it reinforced the message of focusing on the effort, the sentiment, and the emotion instead of perfection. Listen in for the details!
This Spring just seems to be passing so quickly. I don't want to let my days rush by and find myself on a hamster wheel. I want to use my paper crafting hobby to support my dreams and goals. One of the ways I do that is by playing a game called the Big Three. Each month I plan three things that light me up and get my creative jiuces flowing. Then I scrapbook those events. I get the joy of anticpating them, the joy of the experience, and the joy of documenting the memory in my album.
These days my favorite project is my Toolbox Journal. It's the place where I track my progress on my goals (including my 26 in 2026 list), a commonplace book, and a place to keep notes on all I am learning this year. I am especially interested in science backed behavior change. I am currently working to create a layout of evidence that I can do hard things such as finding the right auto mechanic, taking care of my oral health, and finally taking my left over paints to the tip. The resource mentioned in this episode is Change Academy (from Body Brain Alliance and Dr. Kardin Nordin) not sponsored Check her out on Instagram; I think you'll love her content. Join Change Academy in April and use the code CATERPILLAR to get $10 off and a 30 day money back guarantee.
In this episode, I am sharing tips for using your paper crafting hobby to bring energy to your goals and dreams. I need to manage a large, lengthy project. Over the course of roughly 15 months, I hope to manage a team of volunteers and it's important that I convey my vision clearly. The vision itself won't be enough to keep us motivated over such a long time. When the going gets tough, I am calling on my secret weapon...a dedicated scrapbook!
Spring is a season of energy and change for me. As I grow into the 2.0 version of myself, I want to make sure how I spend my time reflects my values. I value creativity and connection and I often express that through card making and creating scrapbook layouts. To that end, it's time to bring back Friday night crafting. The old school crop is no longer around, but I remember it fondly. I love the idea of a dedicated time for fun at my craft table. Won't you join me?
I'm chatting about progress on my 26 in 2026 goals including my five star reads, gardening updates, and more. Documenting these goals in my art journal allows me to use my favorite hobby to help me stay on track and build momentum.
In this episode I am spilling the tea on my girls weekend in Charlotte. I was thoroughly spoiled by my hostess who has the loveliest craft room and the most amazing die cutting station I've ever seen. We made time for shopping and had a special perfume adventure which was the inspiration for a card made with new supplies from the Pinkfresh Studios Couture Edit.
Let's use these last days of winter to get clear on our goals. As we move into Spring, our energy rises. It's the perfect time to move forward with our plans. I love using supplies from my paper crafting hobby to gain clarity on what's ahead for me with decorated lists, calendars, notes and quotes.
Have you ever heard of the documentary question? If a film crew followed you for a day or a week, would your values and priorities be clear from the video footage? In this episode, we're exploring my fascination with documenting the everyday, the dangers of allowing a task to fill too much time, and the joy of flow at our craft table. Plus, I want to know which new stamp releases have captured your imagination.
Every month I play a little game in my planner. Before I set up appointments and the many tasks I need to complete, I schedule three things that bring me joy. These three experiences are meant to light me up and get my creative energy flowing. They are not about the shoulds of life or even self care so oil changes, dental appointments, and even massages don't make this list. Instead, I think of artist dates...concerts, manatees at a state park, tickets to a musical. This month I needed some fresh ideas and a personal assistant. Listen in as I describe the results I was served after entering a quick prompt with ChatGPT. If you give this a try, I would love to hear about your prompt and your results! Please share on our Facebook page.
Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, shares a lot of ideas on generating happiness. One of my favorites is about novelty, trying something new, and the right level of challenge. Dana Wilde, author of Train Your Brain, is know for saying feel good first then take intentional action to be successful. For a long time, I've put those two things together to create a personal happiness formula, but I recently modified it to this: Novelty + Challenge = Happiness Happiness x Community + Intentional Action = Success Listen in to today's episode for more and you'll also have the opportunity to weigh in on the success of my recent 'trying something new' card project.
It started with a punch card. I wanted to create a habit tracker to remind myself to print photos every month. I really wanted a small camera stamp and a large camera die. Once upon a time, there were five local scrapbook stores in my city. Getting a stamp or die was a simple thing. Walking the aisles, waiting for inspiration to grab me was a favorite treat. Oh how I miss my LSS.
Can you guess how many million valentines are sent each year in the United States? I had so much fun crafting sweet little valentines this past week. Listen in for one of my favorite tips to make your die cuts pop and be sure to sign up for my free newsletter to receive the instructions to make the card.